Sharing the Future - Young Papua New Guineans

Seabed mining pursued without due diligence to extensive FPIC

The issue of seabed mining in Papua New Guinea has received more resistance than acceptance as communities, stakeholders and citizens are becoming aware of this untried process of mineral extraction that is scheduled for testing in the tuna rich waters of PNG.

With the established understanding of the detrimental effects of land based mining in the country, and the fact that seabed mining is a process never tried before in the world, compounds the fear of the negative consequences seabed mining will have on the environment.

Islanders in New Ireland have continually expressed opposition towards seabed mining in their waters since it was given the nod by PNG and New Ireland governments on their fishing and ritual waters. The world famous Shark callers of New Ireland have no doubt their ancestral ritual is in danger of virtual extinction.

The call to stop the highly controversial experiment of seabed mining in Papua New Guinea is now a national issue of importance as the current political events unfolding with the O’Neill government.

This untried and potentially dangerous process of mineral extraction is scheduled for testing in the tuna rich waters of PNG, off the coast of New Ireland province under the Solwara 1 project.

And what makes this process more contentious is the utter lack of peoples’ free prior and informed consent (FPIC) to the idea of seabed mining. There has not been any form of extensive consultation on the peoples’ views and feelings about seabed mining, nor has any research or fair awareness on the issue of seabed mining being carried out to make people aware of what processes are involved and stakeholder-ship or the matter of benefits from this mining process.

Throughout PNG there has been continual calls from the people towards the government to stop seabed mining due to the fact it is an experimental process. The resistance to seabed mining has been nothing short of phenomenal, with communities and the church and even world governing bodies expressing grave concerns.

The newly formed national representative body of the Alliance of Solwara Warriors is now demanding total ban of seabed mining in Papua New Guinea.

The Alliance of Solwara Warriors is an innitiative undertaken by BRG and other local and regional stakeholders to stand up against such explotive industry in the sea. So far The Alliance has taken the fight to all levels of discussions in local communities, churches,NGO's, schools and cultural socities.

It is an indigeneous people's struggle to claim their livelihood and that the Alliance of Solwara Warriors is content that all necessarry processes will be used to address the issue of Sea bed mining in PNG.

Links:

• Mesi Shark callers concerned over Experimental Sea bed Mining